Dolerousement comence
Ki chanter veut de dolour.
Las! de çou ki plus m’agence
Ainc n’en euc joie sans plour.
Fols en fais ma penitance
Car ainc ne li quis s’amor:
Ens moi fait une grant tence
Volentés contre cremor.
Mult aim et has dire et taisir,
Car d’aus deus puis vivre et morir.

Amors est et fole et vaine
Ki trop est mise a bandon,
Mais quant apres la grant paine
Vient la joie par raison,
Lors est ele plus certaine
Et s’en sont li porfit bon.
De boin jor boine semaine;
Selonc l’uevre guerredon.
Mult aim et has dire et taisir,
Car d’aus deus puis vivre et morir.

Perils est de tos afaires
Dont on est auques certains,
Car tex li samble contraires
Ou joies est mult prochains.
Mieus vaut servirs et atraires
Et metre pour plus le mains;
Cuer failli ne pris jou gaires
Car trop est faus et vilains.
Mult aim et has dire et taisir,
Car d’aus deus puis vivre et morir.

Jou faic, je croi, tele atente
Com li Breton font d’Artus;
Amors m’ochist et tormente
Et si nel savra ja nus.
Miex me vient de li la tence
Si ke jou n’i faice plus
Que de la cortoise gente
Torner tote joie en sus.
Mult aim et has dire et taisir,
Car d’aus deus puis vivre et morir.

Gontier de Soignies (dfl before 1220)

Beginning is painful
for whomsoever wishes to sing of pain.
Alas! I have never had joy without weeping
from that which becomes me most.
I am a fool to do penance for it,
because I have never besought her for her love:
rather there is a great conflict in me
between desire and fear.
I greatly love and hate both speech and silence,
for each of them may be a matter of life and death to me.

The love which is allowed too much freedom
is foolish and empty,
but when joy is judiciously given
after great suffering
then rational joy comes
and the gains therefrom are good.
From a good day a good week;
reward according to the work.
I greatly love and hate both speech and silence,
for each of them may be a matter of life and death to me.

Every undertaking is hazardous
where there is little certainty,
for circumstances in which joy is very close at hand
appear inauspicious.
It is best to serve, to attract
and to put least for most;
I set little value on a cowardly heart
for it is too false and base.
I greatly love and hate both speech and silence,
for each of them may be a matter of life and death to me.

I believe that I am maintaining
the kind of vigil that the Bretons do for Arthur;
Love kills and torments me
and yet nobody will know of it.
It is better that he do battle with me
so that I do no more
than raise all the joy
of courtly people aloft.
I greatly love and hate both speech and silence,
for each of them may be a matter of life and death to me.